An HBO executive defended the violence and sex scenes depicted in their hit series “Game of Thrones.”
The Guardian reports Michael Lombardo, HBO’s president of programming, told Edinburgh Intl. Television Festival crowd their network is for adults only who pay to see uncensored entertainments.
“My job is to be in business with responsible creative forces,” Lomardo told the festival crowd. “And if I am doing that I trust their decisions about what is appropriate for the character or not. And I feel we made the right choice with Dan (Weiss) and Dave (Benioff) and they continue to try to be responsible.
“As long as I feel that (violence) isn’t the reason (people) are watching the show, that it isn’t a show trying to attract viewers with sex and violence, I am not going to play police.”
Lomabardo touched on one of the most controversial scenes of season four between Cersei and Jaime. Many fans believed Jaime raped Cersei when they were alone with Joffrey’s body. Lombardo acknowledged the controversy, adding it helped create a conversation about consensual sex.
“People responsible for programming have two responsibilities,” Lombardo said. “To be responsible, not to have sex and violence that’s gratuitous. That is certainly not who we are. At the same time we don’t want to be a censor that inhibits the authentic organic creative process by policing how many breasts should be on a show.”
The HBO executive stressed the “Game of Thrones” runners aim to stay true to George R.R. Martin’s “A Song Of Fire and Ice” saga, which is filled with graphic scenes. Lombardo added the scenes featuring graphic content are never with out purpose or for the sake shock value, according to the Guardian.
“Dan and Dave are two very sober, thoughtful men,” the HBO executive said. “They have books as a map, which involve wars, violence, sex. We have certainly not given them an edict or a note that they need to tone down the sexual content in the show.”
